Vehicle a/c compressor assembly

ABSTRACT

A vehicle a/c compressor assembly for a hybrid or electric vehicle includes an electric motor housing, an AC electric motor in the electric motor housing, a compressor housing and a compressor in the compressor housing. The AC electric motor is drivingly coupled to the compressor exterior to the motor housing and the compressor housing.

FIELD

The disclosure generally relates to vehicle air conditioner compressors. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a vehicle a/c (air conditioning) compressor assembly which is particularly suitable for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs and battery electric vehicles and in which a high-voltage motor and an a/c compressor from a non-hybrid vehicle are combined as separate units to reduce repair and replacement costs.

BACKGROUND

The air conditioning systems of conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs and battery electric vehicles utilize a small displacement scroll compressor and an electric drive motor (AC or DC) which are contained in a common housing. A drive shaft in the housing couples the scroll compressor to the electric drive motor. Therefore, in the event that either the compressor or the drive motor requires replacement, the other component must also be replaced even though that component may still be functional. This drawback renders excessively high the cost of replacement of either component.

Accordingly, a vehicle a/c compressor assembly is needed which is particularly suitable for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs and battery electric vehicles and in which a high-voltage motor and an a/c compressor from a non-hybrid vehicle are combined as separate units to reduce repair and replacement costs.

SUMMARY

The disclosure is generally directed to a vehicle a/c compressor assembly for a hybrid or electric vehicle. An illustrative embodiment of the a/c compressor assembly includes a motor housing, an AC motor in the motor housing, a compressor housing and a compressor in the compressor housing. The AC motor is drivingly coupled to the compressor exterior to the motor housing and the compressor housing.

In some embodiments, the vehicle a/c compressor assembly for a hybrid or electric vehicle may include a motor housing; an AC motor in the motor housing; a compressor housing; a compressor in the compressor housing; and a drive belt drivingly coupling the compressor to the AC motor exterior to the compressor housing and the motor housing. The AC motor may be a 3-phase AC motor powered by an inverter that is part of the assembly. The inverter may feed a range of voltages such as 300V DC power, for example and without limitation, to the assembly.

In some embodiments, the vehicle a/c compressor assembly for a hybrid or electric vehicle may include a motor housing; an AC motor in the motor housing; a motor shaft drivingly engaged by the AC motor and extending from the motor housing; a motor pulley carried by the motor shaft; a compressor housing; a compressor in the compressor housing; a compressor shaft drivingly engaging the compressor and extending from the compressor housing; a compressor pulley carried by the compressor shaft; a connecting conduit establishing fluid communication between the motor housing and the compressor housing; and a drive belt drivingly coupling the compressor pulley to the motor pulley exterior to the compressor housing and the motor housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will now be made, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the vehicle a/c compressor assembly.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an alternative illustrative embodiment of the a/c compressor assembly.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another alternative illustrative embodiment of the a/c compressor assembly.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of still another alternative illustrative embodiment of the a/c compressor assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an illustrative embodiment of the vehicle a/c compressor assembly, hereinafter assembly, is generally indicated by reference numeral 100. The assembly 100 may include a motor housing 102. An AC motor 103 may be contained in the motor housing 102. In some embodiments, the AC motor 103 may be a variable-speed high-voltage AC motor, or a high-powered motor having an operating voltage of about 42V-400V (300V nominal) and a peak of about 4˜7 kW. A motor shaft 108 may be drivingly engaged by the AC motor 103. The motor shaft 108 may extend from the motor housing 102 through a shaft opening (not shown).

A compressor housing 112 may be generally adjacent and spaced-apart with respect to the motor housing 102. The compressor housing 112 may have a housing inlet 113 and a housing outlet 114. A compressor 115 may be contained in the compressor housing 112. In some embodiments, the compressor 115 may be a conventional, mechanically-driven (via FEAD belt) automotive a/c compressor. A compressor shaft 117 may drivingly engage the compressor 115. The compressor shaft 117 may extend from the compressor housing 112 through a shaft opening (not shown). The compressor shaft 117 may be disposed in generally aligned or registering relationship with respect to the motor shaft 108. A shaft coupler 109 may couple the motor shaft 108 of the AC motor 103 to the compressor shaft 117 of the compressor 115 exterior to and generally between the motor housing 102 and the compressor housing 112.

The assembly 100 may be mounted to an engine (not shown), frame or other structural element of an HEV or electric vehicle. In operation of the assembly 100, the AC motor 103 drives the compressor 115 through the motor shaft 108, the shaft coupler 109 and the compressor shaft 117. Refrigerant 116 which contains thermal energy resulting from the heat exchange process in the vehicle a/c system is distributed through the housing inlet 113, the compressor 115 and the housing outlet 114, respectively. The compressor 115 compresses the refrigerant 116, which leaves the compressor housing 112 through the housing outlet 114 to perform the heat exchange functions of the vehicle a/c system typically in the conventional manner. A start-up strategy for the AC motor 103 may be needed to detect a locked-up compressor 115 or to detect a refrigerant slugging event and slowly bring the compressor 115 up to speed.

In the event that the AC motor 103 of the system 100 requires replacement, such as may be required after a prolonged period of operation of the assembly 100, the motor shaft 108 can be uncoupled from the compressor shaft 117 at the shaft coupler 109. The AC motor 103 can be discarded with the motor housing 102. Alternatively, the AC motor 103 can be recycled or repaired for subsequent installation and operation in the same or a different system 100. The motor shaft 108 of a replacement AC motor 103 inside a motor housing 102 can be coupled to the compressor shaft 117 at the shaft coupler 109 for continued operation of the system 100.

In the event that the compressor 115 of the system 100 requires replacement, the compressor shaft 117 can be uncoupled from the motor shaft 108 at the shaft coupler 109. The compressor 115 can be discarded with the compressor housing 112. Alternatively, the compressor 115 may be recycled or repaired for subsequent installation and operation in the same or a different system 100. The compressor shaft 117 of a replacement compressor 115 inside a compressor housing 112 can be coupled to the motor shaft 108 at the shaft coupler 109 for continued operation of the system 100. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the AC motor 103 and the compressor 115 can be each selectively replaced independently of the other in the system 100. This may provide substantial savings in maintenance costs to an owner or operator of the vehicle in which the system 100 is installed.

Referring next to FIG. 1A, an alternative illustrative embodiment of the vehicle a/c compressor assembly is generally indicated by reference numeral 100 a. The assembly 100 a may have a design which is similar to that of the assembly 100 which was heretofore described with respect to FIG. 1. In the assembly 100 a, a connecting conduit 122 may connect the housing inlet 113 of the compressor housing 112 to the motor housing 102. At least one cooling plate 123 may be provided inside the motor housing 102. Accordingly, operation of the assembly 100 a may be as was heretofore described with respect to the assembly 100 in FIG. 1 except in the assembly 100 a, refrigerant 116 may be distributed from the A/C system suction line (not shown) to the motor housing inlet 110 and the connecting conduit 122, respectively, into the compressor housing 115. As it flows through the motor housing 102, the cooling plate 123 uses the refrigerant 116 to cool the electrical components of the AC motor 103. The refrigerant 116 is discharged from the compressor housing 112 through a refrigerant outlet 114.

Referring next to FIG. 2, another alternative illustrative embodiment of the vehicle a/c compressor assembly is generally indicated by reference numeral 200. The elements of the system 200 which correspond to the same elements of the system 100 are designated by the same numerals in the 200 series rather than the 100 series. The system 200 may include a motor housing 202 which may contain an AC motor 203. In some embodiments, the AC motor 203 may be a high-voltage AC motor, or a high-powered motor having an operating voltage of about 42V-400V and a peak of about 4˜7 kW. The AC motor 203 may drivingly engage a motor shaft 208 which extends from the motor housing 202 through a shaft opening (not shown). A motor pulley 204 may be drivingly engaged by the motor shaft 208 outside the motor housing 202.

A compressor housing 212 may be generally adjacent to the motor housing 202. The compressor housing 212 may have a housing inlet 213 and a housing outlet 214. A compressor 215 may be contained in the compressor housing 212. In some embodiments, the compressor 215 may be a conventional, mechanically-driven (via FEAD belt) automotive a/c compressor. A compressor shaft 217 may drivingly engage the compressor 215. The compressor shaft 217 may extend from the compressor housing 212 through a shaft opening (not shown).

The compressor shaft 217 may be disposed in generally parallel relationship with respect to the motor shaft 208. A compressor pulley 205 may drivingly engage the compressor shaft 217 outside the compressor housing 212. A drive belt 206 may be trained around the motor pulley 204 and the compressor pulley 205. The drive belt 206 may be a FEAD (Front End Accessory Drive) style belt. In some embodiments, a drive belt tensioner 207 may engage the drive belt 206 to selectively tension the drive belt 206 between the motor pulley 204 and the compressor pulley 205.

The motor housing 202 and the compressor housing 212 may be mounted to an engine (not shown), frame or other structural element of an HEV or electric vehicle. In operation of the assembly 200, responsive to operation of the AC motor 203, the drive belt 206 transmits rotation from the motor pulley 204 to the compression pulley 205 and the compressor pulley 205 drives the compressor 215 through the compressor shaft 217. Refrigerant 216 which contains thermal energy resulting from the heat exchange process in the vehicle a/c system is distributed through the housing inlet 213, the compressor 215 and the housing outlet 214, respectively. The compressor 215 compresses the refrigerant 216, which leaves the compressor 215 through the housing outlet 214 to perform the heat exchange functions of the vehicle a/c system typically in the conventional manner. A start-up strategy for the AC motor 203 may be needed to detect a locked-up compressor 215 or to detect a refrigerant slugging event and slowly bring the compressor 115 up to speed.

In the event that the AC motor 203 requires replacement, the motor pulley 204 can be uncoupled from the compressor pulley 205 by removal of the drive belt 206. The motor housing 202 can be detached from the engine or other structural element of the vehicle and the AC motor 203 discarded with the motor housing 202. Alternatively, the AC motor 203 can be recycled or repaired for subsequent installation and operation in the same or a different system 200. A motor housing 202 which contains a replacement AC motor 203 can be attached to the engine or other structural element of the vehicle. The motor shaft 208 of the replacement AC motor 203 can be coupled to the compressor pulley 205 on the compressor shaft 217 by replacing the drive belt 206 on the motor pulley 204 of the replacement AC motor 203 and the compressor pulley 205 for continued operation of the system 200.

In the event that the compressor 215 requires replacement, the compressor pulley 205 can be uncoupled from the motor pulley 204 by removal of the drive belt 206. The compressor 215 can be discarded with the compressor housing 212. Alternatively, the compressor 215 may be recycled or repaired for subsequent installation and operation in the same or a different system 200. A compressor housing 212 which contains a replacement compressor 215 can be attached to the engine or other structural element of the vehicle. The compressor pulley 205 on the compressor shaft 217 of the replacement compressor 215 can be coupled to the motor pulley 204 on the motor shaft 208 of the AC motor 203 by replacing the drive belt 206 on the motor pulley 204 and the compressor pulley 205 for continued operation of the system 200. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the AC motor 203 and the compressor 215 can be each selectively replaced independently of the other in the system 200 to provide substantial savings in maintenance costs to an owner or operator of the vehicle in which the system 200 is installed.

In some applications, the motor housing 202 of the system 200 may be mounted to an engine (not illustrated) of the HEV or electric vehicle in place of an alternator (not shown) or power steering pump (not shown). The compressor housing 212 of the system 200 may be mounted to the engine generally adjacent to the motor housing 202. This application may eliminate the clutch and coil (not shown) and use the direct drive provided by the motor pulley 204, the drive belt 206 and the compressor pulley 205 to save cost and weight over the typically increased cost and weight of the non-hybrid a/c compressor 215 relative to a hybrid vehicle a/c compressor. In other applications, the clutch and coil may be left in place and used as an escape mechanism to disconnect the drive in the event that the a/c compressor 215 seizes, preventing a snapped or damaged drive belt 206 in the event that the electric motor is still running.

Referring next to FIG. 3, another alternative illustrative embodiment of the vehicle a/c compressor assembly is generally indicated by reference numeral 300. The assembly 300 may have a design which is similar to the system 200 which was heretofore described with respect to FIG. 2. The elements of the system 300 which correspond to the same elements of the system 200 are designated by the same numerals in the 300 series rather than the 200 series. In the system 300, the motor housing 302 may have a motor housing inlet 320 and a motor housing outlet 321. The motor housing inlet 320 may be disposed in fluid communication with the supply of refrigerant 316. A connecting conduit 322 may connect the motor housing outlet 321 of the motor housing 302 to the housing inlet 313 of the compressor housing 312. In some embodiments, at least one cooling plate 323 may be disposed inside the motor housing 302 to cool the electronics of the AC motor 303.

In operation of the system 300, which may be generally as was heretofore described with respect to operation of the system 200 in FIG. 2, refrigerant 316 may flow through the motor housing 302, the connecting conduit 322, the housing inlet 313 and the compressor 315. The compressor 315 compresses the refrigerant 316, which leaves the compressor 315 through the housing outlet 314 to perform the heat exchange functions of the vehicle a/c system typically in the conventional manner. As it flows through the motor housing 302, the refrigerant 316 cools the AC motor 303. In some alternative embodiments, coolant (not shown) may be supplied to the AC motor 303 from a low-temperature radiator circuit (not shown).

In the system 300, the AC motor 303 may be rated to meet the maximum load torque of the compressor 303, especially if a larger-displacement compressor 315 is used. Motor/compressor combinations which are suitable for the system 300 may include a variable speed AC motor 303 and a fixed displacement compressor 315, a fixed speed AC motor 303 and a variable displacement compressor 315 and a variable speed AC motor 303 and a variable displacement compressor 303. A variable speed AC motor 303 may have a series of speeds defined, which may be a large number or a small number (such as 160 or 6 speeds, for example). Another aspect of matching the AC motor 303 to the compressor 315 may include setting the range of cooling capacity (both minimum and maximum levels) which is needed.

Although the embodiments of this disclosure have been described with respect to certain exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments are for purposes of illustration and not limitation, as other variations will occur to those of skill in the art. 

1. A vehicle a/c compressor assembly for a hybrid or electric vehicle, comprising: an electric motor housing; an AC electric motor in the electric motor housing; a compressor housing; a compressor in the compressor housing; and the AC motor drivingly coupled to the compressor exterior to the electric motor housing and the compressor housing.
 2. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 1 further comprising a motor shaft drivingly engaged by the AC motor and a compressor shaft drivingly engaging the compressor, the motor shaft drivingly engaging the compressor shaft outside the electric motor housing and the compressor housing.
 3. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 2 wherein the compressor shaft is disposed in alignment with the motor shaft.
 4. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 3 further comprising a shaft coupler coupling the motor shaft and the compressor shaft.
 5. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 1 wherein the AC electric motor is a fixed speed motor.
 6. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 1 wherein the AC electric motor is a variable speed AC motor.
 7. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 1 wherein the compressor is a fixed displacement compressor.
 8. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 1 wherein the compressor is a variable displacement compressor.
 9. A vehicle a/c compressor assembly for a hybrid or electric vehicle, comprising: an electric motor housing; an AC electric motor in the electric motor housing; a compressor housing; a compressor in the compressor housing; and a drive belt drivingly coupling the compressor to the AC electric motor exterior to the compressor housing and the electric motor housing.
 10. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 9 further comprising a drive belt tensioner engaging the drive belt.
 11. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 9 further comprising a motor shaft drivingly engaged by the AC electric motor, a motor pulley carried by the motor shaft, a compressor shaft drivingly engaging the compressor and a compressor pulley carried by the compressor shaft, and wherein the drive belt drivingly engages the motor pulley and the compressor pulley outside the motor housing and the compressor housing.
 12. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 11 wherein the compressor shaft is disposed in generally parallel relationship to the motor shaft.
 13. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 9 wherein the AC electric motor is a fixed speed motor.
 14. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 9 wherein the AC electric motor is a variable speed AC motor.
 15. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 9 wherein the compressor is a fixed displacement compressor.
 16. The vehicle AC compressor assembly of claim 9 wherein the compressor is a variable displacement compressor.
 17. A vehicle a/c compressor assembly for a hybrid or electric vehicle, comprising: an electric motor housing; an AC electric motor in the electric motor housing; an electric motor shaft drivingly engaged by the AC motor and extending from the electric motor housing; an electric motor pulley carried by the electric motor shaft; a compressor housing; a compressor in the compressor housing; a compressor shaft drivingly engaging the compressor and extending from the compressor housing; a compressor pulley carried by the compressor shaft; a connecting conduit establishing fluid communication between the electric motor housing and the compressor housing; and a drive belt drivingly coupling the compressor pulley to the motor pulley exterior to the compressor housing and the motor housing.
 18. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 17 wherein the compressor is a variable displacement compressor.
 19. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 17 wherein the AC electric motor is a variable speed AC motor.
 20. The vehicle a/c compressor assembly of claim 17 wherein the compressor is a fixed displacement compressor. 